MMPC Learniverse - Redefining the Gold Standard: A New Framework for More Accessible Care (On-Demand Webinar)

Jennifer Bennett joined the Koret Shelter Medicine Program as the new Director of Shelter Medicine Access to Care in late 2024. She is a 2008 graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine and soon after she began practicing in her hometown regions of rural Northern California. She spent 5 years in small animal, emergency and farm animal medicine before joining Lake County Animal Care & Control as its first Medical Director in 2013. After realizing the life-saving impact that a shelter veterinarian can have on a community, she has remained dedicated to the field of shelter medicine. She has worked with a wide variety of municipal and private organizations, developing shelter medicine and surgery programs, consulting with humane organizations, participating in community outreach clinics, and working with large-scale humane law enforcement seizures and legal cases. Dr. Bennett most recently served as the Medical Director for the City of Seattle from 2017-2022 and the Chief Veterinary Officer for the Humane Society of Tacoma & Pierce County from 2022-2024. She served on the California HOD, the Washington State VMA, and was WSVMA President from 2021-2022, and has been serving on the AVMA Animal Welfare Committee since 2023. Dr. Bennett is passionate about supporting and mentoring shelter veterinarians and students, creating low barrier access to care programs, and identifying and removing bottlenecks in shelter programs to improve capacity for care.

Kelly Bremken is the Veterinary Social Worker with Oregon Humane Society. Originally a Midwest native, with a BA in Organizational Communication, Kelly’s experiences have crisscrossed the entire country. She has worked in animal welfare for more than 20 years at Arizona Humane Society, Humane Society of the Treasure Coast, Seattle Animal Shelter, and Oregon Humane Society. Kelly graduated in Spring 2021 with a Master of Science in Social Work (MSSW) from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, with a certification in Veterinary Social Work (VSW). The University of Tennessee Veterinary Social Work Certificate Program trains MSSW students in the four areas of Veterinary Social Work. Those areas are Compassion Fatigue & Conflict Management, the Link Between Human & Animal Violence, Animal Assisted Interventions, and Animal-Related Grief & Bereavement. At Oregon Humane Society and in the Community Veterinary Hospital, Kelly is on the forefront of utilizing social work practice to attend to the human needs that arise at the intersection of veterinary medicine & animal welfare, and social work practice. She serves as Oregon Humane Society’s first veterinary social worker and is paving the way in the field for greater workplace wellbeing and community
partnership.

Dr. Mantovani completed her DVM degree at UC Davis and her Master's in Shelter Medicine through the University of Florida. She is currently a Field Veterinarian with the RAVS team, part of the HSUS. In this role, she works with underserved communities expanding access to veterinary care and mentoring students who are interested in this type of work. Previously she was a Medical Supervisor at the ASPCA in NYC and a shelter veterinarian at the Seattle Animal Shelter where she helped to develop their novel shelter medicine program supporting their vision, “To bring exceptional in-house care to shelter animals and animals from the public through low-cost Spay and Neuter services for community members in need.” Dr. Mantovani lives in Arkansas, a recent move, with her husband, 2 German Shepherds, named Leonidas and Valentina, and a cat, named “It”.